Author: Press Room

At the end of February, the European Commission is expected to publish a new EU law on return of asylum claimants. ADVERTISEMENTIs the European Union ready to set up return hubs outside its territory? According to a document seen by Euronews, the European Commission and several Schengen member states are ready to propose so-called ‘return hubs’ in upcoming EU legislation.Such ‘return hubs’ are centres outside the EU where rejected asylum seekers would be located before being returned to their country of origin. The measure is considered controversial by many civil society organisations and NGOs citing negative impact on human rights.Today…

The savings scheme continues to be a political football – and some proposed changes are concerning. Professor of Finance Aaron Gilbert explains. New Zealand’s superannuation is no longer enough to live on for the country’s retirees. Research has found people need hundreds of thousands in savings to live a comfortable life after work.But the KiwiSaver scheme, introduced in 2007 to encourage New Zealanders to build their retirement savings, continues to be a political football. Since its creation, there have been multiple tweaks to the scheme, threatening to undermine its core purpose: supporting New Zealanders in their retirement.New Zealand’s superannuation is…

Lifeguards at a Canterbury pool now have an extra helper with a new AI system employed to help identify when people might be drowning.The tool used cameras to detect body shapes in the water at Selwyn Aquatic Centre and notified lifeguards if something was not right.”It’s essentially a second pair of eyes,” said lifeguard Dexton Green.”We basically get a map of the pool, it shows us wherean incident is and we’re prompted to go and check it.”Selwyn District Council head of sport and recreation James Richmond said the system ran off normal CCTV cameras.”It’s analysing some of the behaviour and…

The Parliamentary pōwhiri at Waitangi is a chance each year for politicians to have their say, and for the hau kāinga – home people – and te ao Māori, to respond.Today though, the Prime Minister won’t be there to listen.Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson thinks Christopher Luxon should be.”It’s a way of acknowledging to the people of the north, but [also] to the nation, the significance that this place holds. It’s expected for prime ministers to be able to show up and be accountable for their actions and actually needing to front up to people,” she said.Instead, Luxon will be…

House prices are likely to remain broadly flat for the next five years, Infometrics chief economist Brad Olsen says, and New Zealanders may need to come to terms with not being able to “bet the house on” strong capital gains.He told a Financial Services Council event yesterday that there could be “ups and downs” in price movements but overall prices were likely to go sideways or slightly lift over the coming years.”Slightly up is an important shift from previously when it was solidly up all the time.”I think we’re becoming a little bit more accustomed to the idea … people…

An oddly shaped piece of land in northern Invercargill could soon be up for sale after officials struggled to find who it could be returned to.Located near a roundabout at the end of Queens Drive, the 372 square metre section has been owned by Invercargill City Council since 1970.It was originally acquired for roading purposes but is now deemed both surplus to requirements and difficult to build on.Efforts to track down immediate descendants of the original owner have come up empty handed, leading the council to explore other options.Neighbours are currently taking care of the land for the council. (Source:…

Dozens of parents doing drop-offs and pick-ups at a Christchurch childcare centre have been wrongly fined for all-day car parking because of problems with a parking company’s camera system.The Landing car park in Wigram provides spaces for Kindercare Wigram Skies and a number of businesses and retail stores, with time limits enforced by contractor Parking Enforcement Services, a division of Wilson Parking.The company’s cameras used licence plate recognition technology to capture vehicles entering and exiting the car park, and fines were mailed to overstayers.RNZ has been told parents have been wrongly fined for parking too long in the complex when…

Russia’s war in Ukraine has brought fears of a nuclear catastrophe as Zaporizhzhia has repeatedly been caught in the crossfire of fighting. ADVERTISEMENTHead of the United Nations’ atomic watchdog has said he will visit Moscow in the coming days to speak with officials about Russia’s persistents attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure which threaten nuclear safety.“I have from the very beginning of this war, insisted and managed to keep a very open channel of communication with, of course, with Kiev and with Moscow. I’ve met President Putin several times, Minister Lavrov and the CEO of Rosatom, the people from the military…

Police will be visible in Auckland’s Birkenhead today as investigations continue into a stabbing in the suburb.Yesterday, a man suffered multiple stab wounds outside an address on Birkenhead Avenue at around 2pm, according to police.The victim underwent surgery at Auckland City Hospital last night.North Shore area commander inspector Stefan Sagar said the victim is now in “serious but stable condition”, and remains in hospital.”We will be looking to speak with him in the coming days as we continue our inquiries.”Sagar said police do not believe this was a “random incident”.Inquiries are being made into a vehicle left in the area,…

“We will always protect our own interests – however and whenever that is needed,” Ursula von der Leyen said after Donald Trump warned tariffs against the EU would happen “pretty soon.” ADVERTISEMENTThe European Union is ready to engage in “tough negotiations” with Donald Trump to prevent a trade war between the two sides of the Atlantic, Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday, a day after Canada and Mexico struck last-minute deals with the White House to temporarily avoid the painful imposition of 25% tariffs.Trump warned on Sunday that tariffs against the bloc would “definitely happen” and be introduced “pretty…